Chapter 001

[Apple]

This is my third bonus shift this week at the Trail’s End Diner. I’ve been taking on all the extra work I can to free myself of this hell hole and I’m almost there. Just one more day of work and I’ll have enough to drive away and leave this place forever. 

“Order up!” I grab the food from underneath the light and weave my way around customers to set a too-greasy hamburger and fries in front of an older gentleman with a wandering hand. I’ve been avoiding my stepfather’s touches since my breasts first budded, so I have learned how to avoid such advances. 

If I were bolder, I might scream when his hand finds my hip instead of my ass or thigh. But I don’t want trouble. I just want to finish my shift and go home. 

“Hey Apple,” Tony from the post office walks in with a big smile on his face, “I saw this and thought you might want it before you went home.” He pulls a large envelope with the words “Crescent City University” written in bold black font. “You know what they say about big envelopes,” he winks and walks away. “Congratulations Apple!”

Waving my thanks back to him I ignore the grumbling of my boss as I declare I’m taking my break and go outside to open my letter. 

“The Admissions Office of Crescent City University would like to extend our invitation to Apple Blossom LeRoux to join our Fall cohort. The first day of school is August 19th. Tuition is due by August 20th…”

That’s only 6 days from now. A spot must have opened up at the last minute. My grades weren’t as strong as they could have been, so I knew there was a chance I wouldn’t get in. Seeing that I made it, I don’t care what I’ll need to do, I’m going! This is my ticket out of here!

Some people love the small-town life, but for me, this place is a reminder of pain and heartbreak. Now that my mother is gone, dead for almost a year, there is nothing left to keep me here. 

Except for Zion. It’ll be hard to keep our relationship going once I move to the city, but I’m sure we can make it work. We’ve been dating since I turned 18, four years ago. He’s two years older, so he wanted to make sure I was an “adult” before he touched me. 

But there is one step we haven’t taken. The biggest step. Tonight, I will finally give him my virginity. I’ve been too shy or too scared before, but now I know I’m ready. I want to have that connection with him before I leave. I want him to have something to remember me by. 

Walking into the diner I tell my boss that tonight is my last night. Angry, he tells me he’ll mail my last check and sends me out the door. 6 years of loyal work suddenly meant nothing as soon as I told him I wanted to move on with my life. 

Taking his rejection in stride, I jump in my car and head over to Zion’s house. 

Zion is the mayor’s son and lives at the top of Hillcrest Drive, with all the other affluent families. As my mother’s old car sputters up the hill for what will probably be the last time in a long time, I am glad that I am moving to a completely flat city.

Zion doesn’t like his parents knowing I visit him at night, so I go around back to enter our “secret” way. He gave me a key to the garage so I could enter through the laundry room and sneak around the maid's quarters. 

As soon as I turn the key and enter his home, I run to his room, knowing that he is likely there studying for his chemistry exam. “Zion! Guess what I….”

“Ah, harder!”  A high-pitched voice moans followed by the wet slapping sound of flesh on flesh.

Is he watching p**n again? The last time I disturbed him in one of these “private moments” he got so mad at me for coming to his house early he didn’t speak to me for a week. I was so excited about school that I forgot his rule. Not wanting to embarrass him, I step away. Maybe I should have called first.

“Deeper, Zion, harder, ah!!” The voice calls out louder this time and I know it isn’t the TV. The TV wouldn’t be calling out his name. 

 Pushing open the door, I see my boyfriend, his pants down around his ankles, his ass pumping back and forth as he pushes himself into the wide, open legs of a beautiful blonde girl, her pretty pink toenails on her dainty feet matching her perfectly manicured fingernails that she uses to claw down his back. 

I don’t know what to do. I feel like I should walk away, but I can’t stop watching. I can’t bear to walk out the door.

“You're so tight,” he groans as he continues oblivious to the fact that I am standing behind him. “Oh, I love how tight your pussy is.” He leans over and greedily suckles her breasts, so much fuller than my own and she moans in ecstasy. 

“Zion, oh yes baby,” she pounds her hips into him with greater force. Another piece of my heart shattering with each enthusiastic thrust. 

Their thrusting grows more feral and frantic. She screams, cutting his back with her nails as she climaxes, and with a final grunt, like a satisfied pig, Zion releases as well.  

As they separate, the girl looks up at me with a large, satisfied smile on her face. Stunned, I take a staggering step back.

She knew I was there the whole time. 

“Did you find the show educational, little sister?” Unable to believe my eyes, I see my stepsister throw on my boyfriend’s shirt to cover her nakedness as Zion blanches, his hands reaching to cover his now deflating manhood.

Screwing around behind my back was bad enough, but of all the people in this tiny town, he had to mess around with, he chose the one person who would hurt me the most. 

My step-sister. 

“Tansy,” I gasp, choking. “Why?”

“Why not,” she snorts. “Did you think a grown man like Zion was going to keep waiting for you? Someone needed to give him the attention he deserves.”

“Stop, Tansy,” he hisses, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

She ignores him. “The way I see it, you stole him from me.” She looks down at her fingernails, smirking. “Who do you think he was fucking while he waited for you to come of age? When you still wouldn’t give it up we started back up right where we left off.”

Looking over at Zion, my eyes blurry with tears, I ask. “Zion, is this true?”

Unable to meet my gaze, he remains silent.

“You know what, Apple, maybe you should run home like a good little girl and tell your Mommy all about…oops,” she places a hand over her mouth. “That’s right, your mommy is dead.” 

Even with the time that has passed, whenever I'm reminded of my mother's death the realization hits my heart like a stone. She was the only person in this stupid town to love me, other than Zion.

But he never loved me, not if he could lead me on for all these years while secretly screwing my step-sister.

It seems I'm more alone than I thought.

Am I really that unlovable?

Clenching my fists, I crumple my acceptance letter that only a moment ago I was so proud to show off to Zion. As I turn to leave I announce my good news. “You two are free to do whatever you want now. I’m leaving for Crescent City tomorrow.” 

“Good luck with that!” Tansy laughs. “It’ll be hard to sign up for classes without money.” 

She doesn’t know about my hidden savings account. I kept it to myself. So I march out of that room confident that she is just blowing hot air and trying to get me riled up. 

“Just watch, Apple, you’re going to come crawling back here soon enough, but guess what, there won’t be anywhere for you to go! You are so pathetic!”

Her laughter follows me as I run back to my car. There is no reason for me to stay here and endure this torture. 

When I get home, I find all of the lights are on. 

Leaving my letter in my car, I cautiously enter the house. Since my mom died a year ago, my stepfather has been less and less predictable. Sometimes he’s drunk. Other times he’s high. Often he’s looking for cash or his next fix. It’s grown bad enough that I no longer store anything valuable in the house. 

Which is why he is now searching through the closets for the last of my mother’s things. He mooched off of her while she was alive, letting her pay all the bills while he lazed about, and now that she has died from stress and overwork, he is taking what is left of her. 

My vision blurs with anger as I find enough courage to say. “Doc, what are you doing? Those things belong to my mother!”

He turns around slowly. Tonight it appears he is both drunk and high. Great. “Your mother is dead you little bitch,” he belches as he places a hand down his pants to scratch his balls. As his eyes rove my body, I see his manhood twitch and my stomach rolls with disgust. 

“You know what, I don’t care what you do,” I grumble as I pick the last of my mother’s keepsakes up off the ground and shove them into the tipped-over shoebox that had once contained them. “You already sold everything she had, but why don’t you keep looking,” I suggest sarcastically. “Maybe you’ll find something new.” 

He raises his hand to slap me, but I move at the last minute and he falls on his face, knocking himself out. Using this as an opportunity, I collect my few remaining things, shove them in a backpack along with my mother’s shoebox, and head out the door. 

I don’t need this misery. I’m done. Without my mother, this place is no longer home. It hasn’t been for a long time. 

“Sorry Mom, I tried,” I sighed. “I tried to love them like you asked me to.” 

Starting my car, I look over my shoulder one last time before focusing on the road ahead.

Goodbye forever, Pleasant Valley.

Crescent City here I come.